Getting my Voice Heard

I’ve been writing from an early age (and by early age I mean writing stories on our computer with the dial up modem when I was about 7 years old) and I’ve always loved it. So, why am I studying PR and not journalism? Wouldn’t that be more my style?

Maybe, but when I started uni I wanted to do something that had it all. I was good at business at A-Level, but learning in a 200-people deep lecture hall just wasn’t appealing to me. Management wasn’t my thing and I was never a big maths lover so accounting and finance? No thank you. In the end, I picked Business and PR after (truth be told) not reading a whole lot about it, I figured i’d just chose a course and see how it goes because when it came down to it, I wanted to go to university for the experience of moving away and the degree was an added bonus so I’d not thought long and hard about what kind of course I was going in to, I guess you could kinda say it was like a lucky dip.

But, what a choice I made. 3 years in and I’ve fell in love with PR as a subject and as a future industry to work in – and what more, I can practise my love of writing.

But back to the point… I’m out here bigging up the hobby/skill of writing but why should you get involved with it…? Here’s just a few of the reasons I would always recommend it.

It gives you a voice

Writing articles or owning your own blog allows your voice to be heard. It allows to you write pretty much whatever you want, and whats better than that? If you’re a lover of writing (or even if you aren’t) blogs are a great thing to try out as they allow you to express your opinions, (and people enjoy reading them).

What more, blogging and writing can give you a platform to talk about things you perhaps usually wouldn’t, I never realised until I started blogging just how much I like talking about things that are going on in the world and giving my opinion on them… Now that i’ve realised it – I just can’t stop writing.

If blogging isn’t for you, you could always do what I do on the side and try writing for an independent news platform – seeing as there are actually so many out there. I was approached on LinkedIn to write for Global Seven News and have been a freelance contributor for them for several months now. This kind of writing not only allows my work to be published and shared across the world, but also helps me learn more about things that I write about and become more culturally aware.

It can help you get a job

Evidence of independent writing is one of the best things you can have on your CV for related jobs (such as PR and journalism) and of course, the ability to write in general is a big thumbs up when it comes to applying for any job.

Think about it in this way, if it came down to you and another candidate, who both aced the interview for a PR/Journalism job – the candidate with evidence of personal writing is always going to have the edge over one who does not. Basically – you can never go far wrong with practicing the skill.

What more, some employers actually ask for evidence of at least a years worth of writing on a blog or for another writing platform so it’s best to get your foot under the door early and start writing now.

It can be therapeutic

Writing is actually one of the most therapeutic things you can do as it allows you to channel your thoughts.

If you’re having a bad day it can be really beneficial to write, it doesn’t have to be about your troubles it can be about anything. Researching and writing can help to take your mind of any issues or stresses and in turn can really positively benefit your wellbeing.

It can earn you money

Of course, you can write for a living in certain professions, but you can also earn money on the side for your writing.

Some sites will pay you per views for your written articles. However, you must be careful with these as some companies will set really high expectations and pay you very little for your hard work.

The alternative is to write for credited news platforms who will pay you for your work: you can become a freelance writer and consequently, get paid for what you enjoy. My suggestion would be to start by volunteering your time for smaller platforms, start writing a few articles and building up a portfolio. Then, with experience and evidence – you can begin to seek out paid platforms. Not all articles are written by in-office, ‘9-5’ journalists. In fact a lot of content is produced by freelancing journos (a lot more than you’d think) so it’s definitely worth looking in to if writing is something you are (or can be) passionate about.

If writing isn’t for you then that’s understandable, everyone enjoys different things. For me however, its always been a passion. Not only for the fact that it allows me to channel my thoughts but also for the added benefits, with the biggest being getting my voice heard.

Published by Jessica Pardoe

I am a first class, Business & PR graduate. I now work at Tecmark in Manchester as a Digital PR and Outreach executive. This is my blog where I write about all things PR and Lifestyle - thanks for sticking around to read it!
View all posts by Jessica Pardoe

About my blog… and myself

A quick hello

Hiya! My name’s Jessica Pardoe and this is my personal PR & lifestyle blog. I’m a 21 year old, first class graduate of Public Relations; now working as a Digital PR & Outreach Executive at Tecmark in Manchester. I also dabble with SEO and am a keen content writer and creator.